Pune, Sep 19 (PTI) Members of the Assamese community in Pune on Friday paid tributes to popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore earlier in the day while swimming in the sea.
A condolence meeting, organised by ‘Juva Sangha’ at Mohammadwadi, saw participants lighting candles and offering prayers as they recalled Garg’s contribution to music and culture.
“It is a sad as well as black day for me and for the entire Assam. We grew up listening to the songs sung by Zubeen da. For the first time in my life, I have cried for a singer,” said Dr Pallabh, adding that Garg was a legend.
Kaustubh Saikia, a native of Guwahati, said the news left him and other Assamese in Pune “shattered”. “Zubeen was deeply interwoven into the musical, cultural and traditional tapestry of Assam,” he said.
Jina Saikia, a teacher, said the loss was being mourned not just in Assam but across the nation. “Though he has physically gone, he will always be with us through his music,” she said.
Upkul Barauh, a Bihu dancer who lives in Pune, said Garg’s songs were an inseparable part of cultural performances. “Wherever I go to perform Bihu, the event remains incomplete without his tracks,” he said.
Rajkumar Pegu, a defence personnel, said the singer epitomised Assamese culture. “The last video I saw of him was from Singapore, where he was to perform. He sang in all the sub-languages of Assam and ruled the hearts of people,” he said.
Garg (52) mesmerized youth and elders alike for nearly three decades with his songs and films. Singer, music composer, film director, and actor, Zubeen is credited with singing in over 40 languages and dialects.
The song ‘Ya Ali’ from the Bollywood film “Gangster” brought him fame across the country. PTI SPK KRK
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